Typical scanning probe microscopes (SPM) are difficult to use and are not typically user friendly. One reason for this is the typical non-intuitive interface between the user and the scanning probe tip that interacts with the sample surface. An SPM typically functions by moving a scanning probe tip relative to the sample surface and varying forces, currents or voltages between the scanning probe tip and the materials of the sample surface are recorded. Typical commercial SPMs are controlled by a WIMP (window, icon, menu, pointing device) interface that requires the user to enter numerical data into input fields, click toggle boxes or move input sliders to operate the SPM. Using a WIMP interface, the input parameters are typically tedious to optimize at normal SPM scanning speeds on the order of a minute. For high SPM scanning speeds on the order of seconds or less, the performance of operations such as pan and zoom by entering numerical data into input fields is slow compared to the SPM scanning speed and leads to a loss of accuracy and functionality. In some SPM applications, users wish to use the scanning probe tip as a nano-scale tool for experiments such as an application of a localized nano-scale force, local temperature probing, application of selective electrical fields, measuring capacitance or the manipulation of nano-scale objects which is difficult using the typical input interface.